Yasouka
by The Last Performer
Summary: Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Things did not turn out as I wanted them to. But thank you, thank you, thank you.
1. The Door That Almost Opened

Yasouka One  
The Door That Almost Opened

* * *

This is my first PoT fanfic, and my first fanfic in over half a year. This is also my first horror story. So many things I've never done before, but I'll work hard! I'll try to avoid shounen-ai, for those of you that don't like it. But some pairings are just so cannon, I write them in character and gay comes out. My apologies.

I don't own Prince of Tennis. Wish me luck, I'll do my best!

* * *

He smiled to himself. That quaint little smile that only served as his natural expression. His blue eyes watched the rain fall, covering the green courts and the world as it splashed on the ground. Everyone outside was slipping, but they wouldn't give up. The poor first years had to wait until the two regulars finished their match. He absent-mindedly began to dry his light hair, smiling again as he recalled what his sister told him earlier.

_"Be careful after school." She paused, and frowned, " It's going to rain."_

Momoshiro and Kaidoh entered the locker room finally, a sour look on both their faces. The first years got tired of waiting in the rain, and forced the two rivals off the court so they could clean up and get home. The viper won the match, having more points than Momo when they were forced to come to an end. "We'll finish this another time, Mamushi!"

Kaidoh Kaoru frowned, wringing out his green bandana, and hissed. "Any time, I'll beat you, rain or shine."

Inui smiled from his spot on the bench as Oishi worriedly handed his two kohai towels and politely asked them to please change before they got sick. "It's not good to stay in cold wet clothes, and we were supposed to have practice tomorrow! But now, instead all weekend I want you guys to rest, okay?"

Kaidoh gave an embarrassed nod, snatching the towel and drying himself off. Momo smiled and thanked him, but took care to remind their replacement captain that he was a "big boy" and he "could take care of himself". A laugh came from the corner of the bench, earning glares from the tall second year.

"Are you sure about that, Momo-senpai? Remember when earlier, you forgot your money for lunch and came to ask me?" A smirk made itself at home on Echizen Ryoma's face.

"Shut up, Echizen! That and this are totally different!" He yelled in his own defense.

"Is it? How so?"

Kikumaru's laughter filled the room as Kawamura stuttered and, in a weak voice, ordered them to stop fighting. Fuji's laughter joined the redhead's as he handed the sushi master a tennis racket. "BURNING!"

The ah-un pair jumped and stared at Seigaku's number one power player. "You guys! Stop fighting, or you'll be running laps!!" He swung the racket madly above his head, fire burning in his hazel eyes.

"W-we're sorry!" The two boys stuttered in unison.

"You'd better be! Now, apologize to each other!!" He dropped the racket. "I mean… It's got good to be fighting, after all, " He smiled shyly.

The seigaku regular's howled with laughter. A clap of thunder hushed the eight teenagers, all falling silent as they listened the rain pitter-patter on the rooftop. Eiji grabbed a hold of his partners cold hand. "I think the storm's getting worse," he mumbled.

Oishi nodded. "We should all get home as soon as we can," he glanced up at the window before returning his gaze to the darkness. There was a flash, and a loud rumbling sound, like that of a sleeping lion, threatening to wake up and shred you for disturbing it. Blue eyes watched a single horror of his come back with each flash. The acrobat tightened his grip on his friends' hand. It wasn't until a particularly loud clap, shaking the whole building and blocking out even the rain for the moment it spoke, did the lights begin to flicker. A clicking noise echoed throughout the small locker room as the lights flashed off.

Then flickered on.

Then flashed out.

They came on a final time before finally buzzing and fading out for the last time. It was then that everyone jumped as someone gasped as if they were about to die, a final intake of air.

"Eiji, that hurts!" Oishi's voice cut, like a small knife, through the silence. Everybody released an involuntary gasp, hearts racing against their minds, trying to figure out what was going on.

"S-sorry, Oishi," another knife, this time, Kikumaru's shaking voice broke the ear-shattering silence.

"What are you guys doing? It's too dark to see. There's children in the room, you know," Fuji's voice rang out. He was smiling, as always – you could hear it in his voice.

"Ew," Momo chimed accidentally, covered by Echizen's, "I'm not a child," knowing he was being referred to by the tensai. Kaidoh hissed, probably, underneath the other's comments.

"Eiji won't let go of my hand."

"I'm sorry, Oishi!"

"In any case, we should all get out of here and get home. I'm sure our families are worried."

"Good idea, Inui."

"Somebody open the door, we'll have some light then."

Kaidoh hissed, and presumably threw open the door. A dull _thunk_ stopped the door from swinging open. Not a sound could be heard over the silence as they all stared, wide eyed and open mouthed, at the door that almost opened. Rain began invading the doorway, making the puddle on the tile bigger and bigger with each drop, reflecting the things you never wanted to see outside. Somebody shifted. Everybody's eyes raced across the room, trying to figure out who it was.

Inui stood up and walked over to the door.

"Inui-senpai, what are you doing?" Kaidoh's voice was an obvious act, like a children's play, meant so that one would know it wasn't real. Although Kaoru was really doing his best to sound tough like always, Inui smiled and chuckled at how he was so scared.

"The chances of it being something scary are 0 percent," he said calmly. He stepped outside, an arm above his head to keep the rain from getting on his glasses, and reached around the door. It was wet. It seemed to almost bend when he tried to grab it. "The chances of my glasses getting wet: 100 percent," he mumbled to himself as he took a step in to the mud to reach behind the door. A large, cardboard box sat shamelessly in the mud. The writing on the label was impossible to read at this point, but Inui brought it inside with him, soaking wet like he was during practice.

"A package?" Kikumaru finally released Oishi's hand and took to tracing the tape with his finger. "I can't read who it's from, Inui."

Fuji stole the box from under his best friends hand and ripped it open. "It might say inside," was his excuse when Kawamura pointed out that it was wrong to open somebody else's mail without their permission. He took a small note out. "I can barely read it. I think it says: 'Please return to the Rosalind house.' It's not written very clearly, anyway," he handed the note to Inui.

"Rosalind? That's a western name, isn't it?" Oishi asked, looking over Inui's shoulder to look at the note.

"Sounds like it to me," Kikumaru meowed, scratching his head. He dug his hands in to the packaging before Fuji had a chance, and pulled out an old tennis racket. "Huh? Oh, it looks really old!"

"Is there anything else in there, Eiji?" Fuji asked. When answered no, he dug his own hands in. "Why would you put a racket in packaging like this?"

"Who knows? Some people are just like that, Fuji-senpai," Momo offered half-heartedly.

"Either way, we can't just not return it. Tomorrow morning, those of us who are well enough," Oishi eyed the second years and glasses wearing data man, "will go and return this."

"I'll research it tonight, and find out where the Rosalind house is," Inui offered, ignoring his replacement captain's stares. The stares intensified. "If I can't go, I won't tell you where it is." And to Kaidoh's great dissatisfaction, "Kaidoh should come, too. And Momo. We can make it a training weekend after we deliver the racket."

Oishi sighed. "We'll see, Inui. For now, let's all get home and rest up. Who wants to take the package home with them?"

It seems as though another several minutes of heavy silence passed.

Finally, like a beacon of light, breaking up the calm, "I'll take it home." It was Fuji, smiling that quaint little smile.

* * *

Edit'd thanks to some great critiques, yo.


	2. Suit of Hearts

Yasouka Two  
Suit of Hearts

* * *

I'm afraid this chapter is a bit slow, so sorry. It's also longer than I planned it to be. But it'll definitely speed up after this! I hope you enjoy chapter two.

* * *

The towel was soft on his face; her hands warm on his arms. "Shuusuke, take off your shirt or you'll get a cold," she demanded in a gentle voice. She helped him take the clingy shirt off and handed him a pair of pajamas fresh from the dryer. The black pajamas were adorned with bright red hearts, and were a pair of Yuuta's that he'd forgotten to take with him to St. Rudolph's. They were warm, and when Fuji brought his arm up to his face to dry his hair, he could smell his brother's scent all over.

"Nee-san, won't Yuuta care that I'm borrowing his pajamas?" He smiled, sliding in to his slippers and putting the wet cardboard box on the table.

"Of course he will. And don't put that thing on the table, put it on a towel or it'll get everything wet," Yumiko chided.

Fuji sighed, lifting the box on to a towel. "They're a bit too short," he laughed, gesturing lightly to his bare ankles. "Why don't you give me some of my pajamas?"

"Those were fresh out of the dryer. I figured you should be in something warm when you got home. And those are the thickest things we had. Why didn't you take an umbrella like I told you to?" Yumiko crossed her arms in a motherly way, a stern look of concern.

"I forgot," the younger brother answered honestly. The two smiled at each other. "Thank you, Nee-san."

"Your welcome, Shuusuke. Come on, I'll make you some hot cocoa. I have some questions before you go take a shower. You won't get a cold, I promise." She paused halfway to the kitchen. "Where are you going this weekend?" she asked before stepping carefully across the cold tiles.

Anybody else would've been surprised. But, being a Fuji, you became accustomed to Yumiko knowing vague things about your life. She was psychic (1). Without any doubt, anybody who met her absolutely thought she was psychic. Which she is. And she takes pride in it. So, when confronted with his future plans, Fuji only smiled as he followed her to the kitchen.

"The Rosalind house, with my team. We have to deliver the package I brought with me." A shatter.

Shuusuke stopped.

He whipped around. His sister's eyes stared straight in to his. Her eyes were wide. She grasped his arms tightly. Her face was pale. She opened her mouth.

"The Rosalind house?"

"Y-yes, Nee-san," he carefully took her cold hands and guided her to their kitchen table. As soon as she was safely seated, he knelt down and began picking up the shards of his favorite cup. "What's the Rosalind house?"

She ignored his words. "The package. Bring it in here." Yumiko stared down her younger brother as he tossed the glass in the trashcan. He met her gaze as he turned around. His smile faded. "And bring my cards."

* * *

He lived farthest from the school. He was almost sure no matter what he was going to get sick. It was a cold and lonely walk to his house.

Nobody was at home to greet him. As usual. Carefully, he made his way across the house and found towels, dripping water the whole way. He dumped his wet clothes in the hamper and took a nice warm shower. Once done with that, he opened a can of soup and began heating it on the stove.

He checked the home phone for messages. There were none.

He checked his cell for message. None there either.

As soon as his soup reached the perfect temperature, he poured it in a bowl, turned off the stove, grabbed a spoon, and took a seat at the table to begin his meal alone.

"I hate being alone when it storms," he confessed to himself, watching cars carefully rush home to their families through his thick lenses. It was quiet except for the sounds Inui made as he slurped the soup. Now that he was warm inside and out, he washed the dishes he'd contaminated until they were clean, dried them, and put them where he found them. He headed up to his room.

He took a seat in his small office chair and whirred to his computer screen. With the press of a button, the silence previously consuming the empty house was blown away with the sound of a fan from his computer. He spoke aloud as he typed, "The Rosalind House… enter." Instantly, a list of several different websites appeared. He clicked on the first website on the list, dedicated to "the tragedy of the old Rosalind House." The word tragedy peaked the data man's interest and he began reading the story.

"Lucky. It's the right one," he smiled. "There can't possibly be another Rosalind house." He stopped himself from getting distracted and continued reading.

"The house is farther than I'd thought," he mumbled, scanning the page quickly. "Nowhere we can't get to easily. Of course, we'll have to leave early. Depending on how long we're there, we'll probably get home late." He reviewed his last sentence in his head before grabbing a sticky note and a pen from his drawer.

_Okaa-san, Otou-san, I will be leaving early tomorrow morning with my tennis team. I'll have my cell phone on in the event that you need me for something. I won't be home until late. Please have good days at work. –Sadaharu_

A smile spread across his face as he set the note aside for his parents. "They should be satisfied enough with that. I'll leave it in the kitchen before they get home tonight," he decided.

He turned back to his computer and continued reading. He frowned when he stumbled upon a few roadblocks in their adventure. Someone owned the house, though they didn't live there. This was troublesome. Why would they deliver a package to some place where they didn't live? Perhaps there would be a forwarding address they could send it to.

The house is surrounded by a forest, and the small city it's in is surrounded by mountains. Another troublesome factor. The Rosalind's were the ones to have it built. Currently the late Rosalind's brother owns the house. However, he and his family moved back to Europe.

That night, Inui fell asleep at his computer desk before getting through the history of the house or any of the other websites. His parents were worried he'd caught a cold.

* * *

"Don't cry, Nee-san," Fuji rubbed his sisters back as she wiped her face. "What does this mean, anyway?" He wondered quietly, staring down at the tarot card spread across the table. She hadn't explained to him what happened before she'd broken down crying. "Is it safe to go?"

"Shuusuke," she whispered. "Shuusuke, you have to go. You can't leave him this way." She repeated quietly, "you can't leave him like this."

He stared at her. "I don't… What?"

Carefully, Yumiko picked up a card. It read, in large letters, "XIII DEATH." (2)

When her younger brother made a face of confusion, she sighed, and teary eyed, explained, "it's upside down, Shuusuke. He's lost someone. I don't know who, but they're gone. And he doesn't want to let them go. Please, please, be careful. I'm afraid there will be many accidents. But you have to go." She sniffed, wiping her eyes, and repeated, "you can't leave him like this."

"Nee-san, who is-"

"I don't know. Please…" She took her brothers hands. "I don't know who he is. But help him. He has to do with this racket. I don't know any more than I've already told you. I'm going to bed."

She dropped his hands and started her way to her bedroom. "Nee-san," he mumbled after her. "Will you be all right?"

She stopped.

"Nee-san?"

She turned around, meeting his curious gaze with a demanding look. "Whatever you do, while you're there, don't let him in to the forest."

Before he could ask who he was again, she retreated to her room. The brunette was left, staring after his sister. He looked back to the box, sitting ominously on the towel. He took a card of the top of the deck, in the same large letters, it read "0 THE FOOL." (2)

* * *

He sniffed. Everybody stared at him. "Someone must be thinking of me," he laughed, wiping his nose carelessly with a tissue. "The chances of Tezuka, wondering if I'm killing our team with my nutritional drinks, all the way in Kyuushu are 17 percent. Better, the chances of it being Renji, wondering if I have a cold, are 83 percent. Just between those two, of course."

Inui was a good liar. Throwing in statistics nobody but the Data Master from Rikkai and himself would know how to calculate were the perfect way to pass it off as fact. Even so, he knew well the chances of him having a cold were 96 percent, but telling the worrisome Oishi that would get him sent home.

And so, when he sneezed, he forced a laugh through a few coughs and had them believe that Yanagi Renji was worried. Oishi's particularly frightening eyes glared at Inui from across the train as Eiji and Fuji happily watched the scenery go by. Clicking from Fuji's camera and excited shouts from Kikumaru filled the train car.

"Eiji, sit down!" Oishi said worriedly. Kikumaru was on his knees, staring out the window as the countryside rolled by. The grass was a shiny green from rain the previous day. And flowers bloomed beside the train tracks, and up the hills that rolled and rolled in to the distance. Fuji sat at the end of the seat, turned so he could see out the window as he took pictures for his album.

Another sniff came from the Data man sitting across from the Dream Pair. Inui's cheeks were rosy, and behind his glasses were probably puffy eyes.

"I'm fine," he assured Oishi, who turned from the acrobat to glare at him.

"You shouldn't have come. If you're sick, which I'm almost certain you are, this won't be a good trip for you."

The mother of the team was sure of his teammates illness when his head rolled to the side and he began snoring lightly. No later than 5 minutes after he fell asleep was he leaning uncomfortably on Kaidoh's shoulder. The second year was visibly not okay with this, but was much too nice to push a sick man off his shoulder. He was blushing for the next few minutes.

Kawamura and Momoshiro sat at the next seats over from Kaidoh and Inui, getting along better than anyone else. They were smiling.

"Taka-san, you have the best sushi I've ever had!"

The third year smiled shyly. "Thank you, but my father's is much better." He scratched the back of his head and blushed.

Things carried on like this for about an hour and a half, according to Oishi's watch that threatened to break if he continued periodically checking it every 5 minutes wondering how much longer this trip would be. He was about to look back down at his wrist when his gaze was brought suddenly upward. "Oishi!"

Kawamura held out a batch of lunches. "I brought lunch for everyone. Are you okay? You didn't respond the first few times I called."

"Oh! I'm fine!" Oishi laughed. "You brought lunch for everyone? That's so nice of you, Taka-san! Thanks!" He grinned. "Okay, everyone, let's eat!"

Momo and Eiji let out a simultaneous whoop of happiness, jumping to the food and grabbing first dibs.

"Shut up, Momo-senpai," Echizen mumbled. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and adjusting his cap. "You're too noisy so early in the morning."

"I agree," Inui moaned as he held his head and sat up straight without realizing he was crooked in the first place.

"Come get some food," Kawamura smiled. "I hope it's okay."

After eating, as the scenery got more and more rural and the people started disappearing until it was just the regulars on board, everyone found it harder and harder to keep their eyes open. All the buildings faded from sight, and more and more trees took their place. The grass got taller as the sun rose higher in the sky. Heads rested on laps and shoulders. Heavy eyelids finally got a rest. The regulars didn't wake up until they were at the last stop. They could see the house from the station.

* * *

1. This is not just for the sake of suspense. In Chapter 48, The Day before the Tournament, she offers to foretell the outcome. I believe there's also a part in the anime where she says something about it, but I never watched the whole anime.

2. I only consulted one of my tarot deck books on this, so I'm not entirely sure the meanings are exactly the same. I apologize to those who don't understand this! But don't fret! Upside down, Death is meant to say something's been lost. Also, in the book I have, it warns to be careful of accidents. The Fool is a card for someone naive, who's jumping willing in to something to start anew.

Again, this was edited from the original.


	3. Around a Corner

Yasouka Three  
Around a Corner

* * *

I'm more confident about this one. It's got a lot more going for it! Sorry it took a bit of time, but please enjoy!

* * *

Inui recalled mentally everything he could about the house. He wanted to tell them, to warn them about the mysteries surrounding the house. But he saw Kaidoh's almost normal expression and lost the will to say anything. His dark eyes, staring up at the ominous house, stole Inui's will to tell everybody about the ones who had this house built. The second years lips, that would open so often like he wanted to say something about going home, but was too stubborn to make himself look like a coward, whispered away the chances of this whole trip being for nothing. He didn't want to scare Kaidoh even more than he already was.

Kikumaru knocked on the door. "Anybody home?" He called in a singsong voice. He frowned and lowered his energetic hand, his shoulders falling simultaneously. There was no answer.

"I don't know if anybody lives here," Inui finally managed. He reached for the door.

"Then this whole thing is for nothing?" Fuji smiled. "We should at least have some fun while we're here. I've heard the cuisine here is good." There was a happy shout from Momoshiro. The brunette laughed a little. "And also, all the scenery is so beautiful. I even brought my camera along."

_Click._

The sound of the forest around them overtook their ears.

First, they stared at Inui.

Then, his hand and the twisted golden knob.

And last, the inside of the Rosalind House. The regulars stared at the gap between the door and the frame. The silence was loud enough to hurt your ears.

"Gomen kudasai," Echizen mumbled, breaking the silence just barely with his low voice. He ducked under Inui's arm and entered the house. Momoshiro followed his example.

Then Kawamura.

Then Fuji.

And Kikumaru.

And Oishi.

The last two watched as the others disappeared around a corner. Inui stood up straight.

"Let's go in, shall we?" He smiled. Kaidoh merely hissed, shoving his senpai out of the way and walking in to the abandoned house. Inui shook his head, laughing a bit to himself. "Gomen kudasai," and he walked in to follow everybody else.

The house was dark, as if trying to hide its secrets. Inui ran his fingers over the walls as he trailed behind his friends, taking in all the details of the house. The walls were sticky with thick coats of dust. There were paintings in frames decorating the walls. The data man went over the history in his head.

The couple that had this house built was killed. They'd come from Europe, looking for something more exotic, probably. Only the community wasn't as accepting as they'd hoped. The door really should have been locked if the ones who owned it are in Europe.

The door really should have been locked, especially if this was previously a crime scene. He shivered.

"I knew it," Oishi sighed. "You are sick."

"It's the dust. I think I may be allergic," he answered frankly.

"This was really a bad idea. We should have just sent the package through the mail. That would have been more logical," the vice captain sighed. His shoulders drooped and his feet dragged across the carpet. It wasn't long before the two met the rest of the group.

"Whoa!" Kikumaru laughed. "Everything's all covered." He was the first one to take off the sheet, sending dust in to the air like an illusion of snow. The couch underneath was a floral pattern of wine colored roses and green stems, with dark red oak shaded wood.

A flash.

Everyone turned.

Fuji smiled, camera up to his eye. "I've never seen a couch with that sort of pattern here. I thought a picture was needed."

"Fuji!" the redhead whined, "don't scare us like that! Give us a warning next time!"

"Sorry, Kikumaru." He smiled.

Momo, having been set an example, ripped the gray sheets off every single piece of furniture in that room. It was all the same finish and the same rose pattern from before. "It looks expensive," Inui observed carefully, adjusting his glasses to better examine the odd anomalies in front of him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it's definitely western furniture. Is that correct, Echizen?"

The first year pulled his hat down as all eyes shifted to him. "I wasn't going to say anything," he mumbled. "But it is."

"The people who had the house built were Europeans," he began. A glance at Kaidoh kept him from saying anything more. So instead, "I think it's most likely Northern European. But I can never be too sure. I might be able to with further inspection." He smiled. "Kikumaru, please, lead us to another room."

"Yes, yes!" He sang. The exploration of the house started a game of follow the leader, who was, unfortunately, Kikumaru. He went in to the first door he could find.

"An office?" Momo was instantly at the window, looking out at the forest. "What a nice view! Hey, Mamushi, check it out!"

Kaidoh's head snapped up. "What? No." Was all he said before turning his head to both sides to check that everyone was still with him. He leaned against the wall, repeating to himself mentally to _calm down, calm down, Kaoru. Be a man, this house isn't scary_ if he could even manage to think straight long enough before being intercepted by the thought of ghosts. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

_It isn't scary. It isn't._ Trying to convince himself this house was definitely not haunted wasn't working. He opened his eyes whenever there was a sound that wasn't a voice of his friend.

"Kaidoh, you didn't have to come," Inui stated as if he knew everything the viper was feeling. Even if he did, that didn't make it okay.

"Shut up," he hissed. He didn't like this place. An abandoned foreigner's house is suspicious in the first place. The package made the place even creepier. Kaidoh was a man to go on his instincts. And his instincts were telling him to get the hell out of that house.

Unfortunately, he was also a man of pride. And this tennis racket needed to be returned to the owner. And he wasn't about to run out in front of Momoshiro and have himself look like a coward in front of his rival. He'd never hear the end of it. "Inui-senpai didn't have to come either, especially if he's sick," he retorted finally.

"I'm not sick," was his pathetic argument.

"Yes you are, Inui! It's way obvious!" Kikumaru laughed. Kaidoh jumped at the sudden loud voice. The acrobat pointed the racket toward the data man. "Oishi's super worried about you, you know. Real mean, making him worry."

"Don't wave the racket around, Eiji. It would be bad if you damaged something that isn't yours," he chided before turning to look at his vice captain. "And Oishi doesn't need to worry because I'm not sick."

Oishi shut his book with one hand before looking up. "You are sick. We'll finish up here soon and get back home so you can rest up." He put the book back on the shelf.

"Hey, what were you looking at?? A diary?" Kikumaru skipped over to the bookshelf. "Oh. It isn't," he picked up the book, disappointed, and sighed ", and it doesn't even sound very interesting."

"Eiji, you should really read the summary before passing judgment upon a book," Oishi sighed.

His doubles partner chuckled and spun the tennis racket around his wrist. "Guess you're right!"

A smile of relief crossed Oishi's face before he turned away from the acrobat to the rest of his team. Kawamura, Fuji, and Momoshiro were all looking out the window at the thick forest behind the house. The tensai was, of course, snapping away with his camera. Taka-san was, meanwhile, telling Momo to calm down or he might break something. Kaidoh and Inui were leaning on the opposing wall, chatting about how Inui's sick and should stop denying it. Echizen was sitting in the chair, probably wondering when he'd get to go home to sleep. And there was a yell from behind him.

Then a crash.

And a crack.

And too many things dropping to be identified before he had a chance to turn around.

"Eiji!" and "Kikumaru-senpai!" filled the room as they saw him, though he gave no response. The dark and heavy oak was crushing his lower body. Heavy western books surrounded his form and the bookshelf. Shattered, a glass vase long vacant of any use and a heavy globe sat next to his head. The rusty metal from the globe sat threateningly across the slender neck of the redhead. The racket had slipped from his hands and was safe from the danger of books and broken glass.

Fuji quickly gathered the broken glass and tossed it spitefully to the corner. Kawamura and Momoshiro summoned their strength and lifted the shelf as Kaidoh and Oishi carefully pulled the unconscious regular out from underneath. Inui began inspection for injuries as Echizen lethargically picked up the books and placed them insensitively on the shelf.

"He's fine, just unconscious," Inui smiled, gaining a relived sigh from everyone else. "We should take him to the living room so he can lay down."

Momoshiro grabbed the racket and, Taka-san carrying Kikumaru, returned to the living room. They fluffed a pillow and carefully laid down their friend.

"Why would this happen?" Oishi cried, looking up and down his partner for any injuries that may have been missed. "I can't believe it. This was such a bad idea."

"No it wasn't, Oishi. Calm down," Fuji smiled and patted the game maker on the back. "It isn't your fault. You should continue looking around. You might find something interesting. Just don't go outside."

His vice captain's watery eyes looked up to his blue ones. "What??"

"I'll stay and watch Eiji," he explained happily. "If something happens to him, I'll be here to make sure it's okay. If you're here, you'll worry too much and won't be able to think straight to be able to help. Right?"

Kawamura laughed. "That's true."

Inui nodded. "I agree. Fuji will stay with Eiji, and we can all go finish exploring."

The brunette sat on the couch, situating himself so his friends' head was comfortably on his lap. "Be careful, everyone. And don't go outside!"

They agreed and turned. "Bye!" They all said before disappearing, one by one, around a corner.

* * *

And finally, edited.


	4. From Europe

Yasouka Four  
From Europe

* * *

I really wanted this to be a Halloween update, but it fell through. Please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

"It's freaking huge!! And why's the bed so high up?" He ran in and jumped on to the bed. It creaked in pain under the sudden weight.

"It's actually not uncommon for the beds to be so elevated, Momo," Inui commented, following him in and taking in every detail and secret of the room.

"I bet it isn't," he sighed, jumping off. His violet eyes fell to the closet. Slowly, he made his way over to the wide door and cautiously grabbed a hold of the knob. It was cold. He swung open the door. "Guys, the closet's huge too!"

"Get over it," Kaidoh hissed. He glanced over at his rival's excited grins as he ran around the inside of the closet. "It's not a big deal."

"Yeah," Echizen tossed in over the screech of a drawer that hasn't been opened in years. He was disappointed when, after all that noise, all he found was stationary. The first year pouted and shut the dresser.

He followed Kawamura in to the bathroom. There was a good view to the back of the house. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Echizen's senpai smiled.

He smiled a little in return. "I can see why they'd move from Europe to here," he agreed.

The forest outside was dark and inviting. It looked like the perfect place to go to sleep where nobody would disturb you. As if inside that forest, your secrets would be safe forever. The soil was dark and moist and probably great for growing flowers. Blue and white mountains, looking so much smaller than they were, were shining in the distance.

"I wonder what happened," Takashi said thoughtfully.

"Taka-san, Echizen, let's go to another room," Oishi smiled, leaning in the doorway. They nodded and followed him out. "We haven't been in the room across from the office," he brought his hand to his chin and began to think. "Or in the kitchen, wherever that may be."

"We'll probably have to go through the living room to get to the kitchen. We can check on Eiji on our way there," Inui stated.

The shuffling of feet overtook the room as the regulars started to leave. Echizen stopped. He looked over everyone. No. This can't be right. Somebody's missing.

"Momo-senpai!"

"Did that idiot get himself lost?" Kaidoh muttered. He checked the closet, though he was sure he wouldn't be in there. Momo was gone. That's all there was to it. And soon, Kaidoh was sure, they'd all be gone.

Inui began calculating the probability that Momo, like Eiji, had fallen trap to this haunted house. The chances were high as soon as he'd started. Distracted by the contents of the closet, the data man never found his answer. He led Kaidoh out of the way and bent down. When he arose from the closet, he had the racket in his hand.

"M-maybe Momo's with Eiji and Fuji," Oishi stuttered in a panic.

"Yes. Let's go see, shall we?" Inui led the way back to the living room.

Fuji looked up from Kikumaru's sleeping face, his fingers tangled in his red hair. He was quiet for a moment before frowning. "Where's Momo?"

Echizen stepped forward. "We were in the master bedroom. He was in the closet and he disappeared."

"We thought maybe he'd come to see you guys," Oishi sighed. "But he didn't. And Eiji still hasn't woken up."

"Momo left the racket in the closet, wherever he went," Inui interjected. "I'm sure Eiji's fine, Oishi. Don't worry."

Fuji nodded. "I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just sleeping, afterall," he smiled.

"Right," Oishi gave halfheartedly. "He's probably just sleeping."

"Maybe you'll find him in the kitchen or something. I might've missed him coming by. Don't lose heart!" The brunette encouraged.

"Let's check the kitchen," Inui agreed.

They treaded across the dusty plush carpet toward the kitchen. A dark hall threatened against entry. Oishi, the vice-captain, led his team through the darkness and in to the dusty kitchen.

"Inui!"

The bespectacled boy turned before leaving the living room.

Fuji smiled. "Be careful."

"Of course," he answered, turning and dissolving in to the darkness behind the others.

It was a large kitchen, still filled with every pot and pan and knife that was brought with the Rosalind's from Europe. Though dusty, it was a good kitchen. The chrome appliances' shine dulled under the mask of the gray, sticky cover of dust. Safely inside the drawers, the knives, forks, and spoons all reflected everything they saw. The cold checkered tile threatened to have you slip if you made a wrong move, and the windows just barely had enough light to allow you view of it's secrets. Kawamura's voice broke the silence first.

"Such a great kitchen!" He excitedly went to the knives and checked their shape. They were sharp enough to cut an onion without anybody shedding a tear.

"It reminds me of a diner," Echizen scoffed, pulling the rim of his hat down. He began opening cabinets, surprised that he was disappointed for finding only pots and pans with the occasional drawer full of cooking utensils.

"They came from Europe, you know," Inui began. Everybody nodded and turned to look at him. He was twirling the racket in his hands. "They moved here, probably looking for a nice place to settle down. They'd recently been married. Unfortunately, they weren't welcome."

Everybody saw it. Except Inui. If he'd seen it, it wouldn't have happened.

"Inui-senpai!"

But he hadn't heard.

If he did, it wouldn't have happened.

The cast iron was lying next to him. It fell from one of the top shelves he was standing next to. The racket even, had gotten out of the line of fire. It was safely sitting next to the counter.

"Is his head bleeding?" Oishi rushed over worriedly. "It sounded pretty hard, is he okay?"

"There's no bleeding," Kawamura smiled and gave a sigh.

Kaidoh lifted the taller man gently on to his back. "Inui-senpai can wait with Kikumaru-senpai," he mumbled. He kicked the racket over towards the other three regulars. "One of you carry that thing."

Kawamura smiled timidly, bent down, and lifted the racket. "BURNING! Inui needs a place to lie down! Let's go find one!!" He yelled enthusiastically. With his burning aura, he led the way down the hall to the empty living room.

He stopped and dropped the racket. Kaidoh pushed his way past and dumped his senpai on the uncovered sofa.

"No! This can't be right!!" Oishi gasped. "This can't be!"

The first year patted his vice captain on the arm. "Stay calm," he advised. "Stay calm."

"How can I?" He cried. "Fuji and Eiji aren't here!!"

* * *


	5. She

Yasouka Five  
She

* * *

Sorry for the wait! I've been really busy lately. But I had a sick day today and decided I should take care of this. There's a few things in this chapter I hadn't planned to write, but decided it would be fun to anyway! Please enjoy it!

* * *

He took off running. He needed to find them. He had to. If he didn't, would they be safe? Were they okay? He had to find them.

"Kawamura-senpai, wait!!" Echizen screamed, looking back and forth between his teammates. "Do something, Oishi-senpai! Stop him!"

Green eyes darted from the couch to the hall. "Kaidoh, please stay with Inui! Echizen and I will go get Taka-san! Come on, Echizen."

"Okay."

His voice of protest didn't reach them. His two teammates dissolved in to the shadows. Seigaku's power player's shouts and heavy footsteps went with them. There was nothing. Only silence. It was overtaking them. Except for Inui's breathing.

At least, Kaidoh sighed, his senpai's breathing was regular. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale… His breathing was deep. A high-pitched silence seeped in to the moment of peace between the two. A high-pitched ringing.

And then nothing.

* * *

In another place, another room, another part of the house, the screams of a brunette echoed down the halls. "BURNING!"

"Kawamura-senpai, please wait a moment!"

"Taka-san, slow down!"

Oishi and Echizen were closing the gap. They could nearly reach their power player. Just a little bit more. Just a little bit.

A little bit was farther away than it seemed.

Haphazardly, Takashi threw open a door, sending a rain of undisturbed dust upon them. "Fujiko-chan and Eiji, if you're here-"

There was tapping. The racket had fallen. It was settling itself on the wooden floor.

"No…" Oishi whispered. He repeated this to himself as he ran to the door and peered inside the room. "No. No." His voice began to rise. "Taka-san! Where are you?"

Echizen followed him to the entry. "Kawamura-senpai's gone, too?"

He nodded quietly, bending down and picking up the racket. "What is this room?" His eyes wandered. Unconsciously, his feet did too.

There were bookshelves. They were stacked with reference books. They were all about gardening. Climates in Japan are different than those in Europe, Oishi noted. His cold fingers made their way from the bookshelf to the desk. Under it was a rusty watering can, printed flowers faded and wilted from disuse. A book dedicated with love to poppies was sitting open on the tabletop. The pages were yellow and brittle from time's harsh schedule. Above the book sat a picture frame. Echizen's small hands lifted it before his vice captain had a chance.

A smiling couple grinned at the camera. The man was a blonde, strong looking figure. His arm was wrapped around his companion's small waist. Her hair was long and strawberry blonde. They both had shining blue eyes they tried shielding from the sun above them. Next to her was the watering can, and behind them, a garden. Beyond that was a forest, backed by mountains in the distance.

"The backyard," Echizen breathed, and explained, "Kawamura-senpai and I saw it from the bathroom in the master bedroom."

Oishi nodded, looking from the picture to the watering can. "It's the same, isn't it?"

"I think so." Gently, he set the picture face down. The two looked over the shelf again. "Oishi-senpai," he began, sliding his finger along the spine of an untitled novel, "you can't read English, can you?"

"No, I can't," he answered, watching Echizen's fingers carefully. They slipped the book out and flipped through the pages. "It's a diary, isn't it?"

A smile and a nod. "They're from England, after all," he said as he skimmed through the first page. Quickly, he found the last entry and began to translate it. "Ah, it's the woman's diary. Here, I'll read it to you, Oishi-senpai. I can't read the date. It's too faded. But here goes, 'although I love our new home here, I've grown accustomed to staying either indoors or in the backyard. I have my husband go out for me. I don't like this town. The people here all look at us strangely as we walk down the street. I've even nearly lost my will to play tennis! Maybe we could have someone make one in the forest behind our house. That'd be great! Just him and me, playing all day among my garden. I suppose a small, traditional town like this isn't very open to foreigners.

"'I'm a bit worried. My garden was messed up the other day. I think one of our neighbors did it. It seems as though they're planning something. I'm sure everything will turn out okay. As long as I have my husband, everything will be okay. Or, rather, as long as we're together, everything will be okay. I love him. Even if I were to die, I love him. And I hope we'll be together forever. Not even death could separate us!' It ends there," he sighed curiously, flipping through the remains to make sure.

"How abrupt," Oishi frowned. "Put it away, now. Let's go back to Inui and Kaidoh, ok?"

"Yes," Echizen drawled, carefully placing the book back in it's niche, followed his vice-captain back out to the living room.

As soon as he walked in, Oishi started to run. He ran to the couch. There's nothing. There's nobody. "Kaidoh! Inui!"

Echizen paced over curiously. The couch really was empty. "Calm down, Oishi-senpai. They've got to be around here somewhere. Maybe Inui woke up and they went to find us."

Small hands guided the panic stricken Oishi to the couch and had him take a seat. Echizen sat on the back of the couch and looked around the dust filled room. Every shift of weight or every gesture caused the rusty springs to scream out in pain. At least, unlike the rest of the house, Echizen's comforting hands were warm on Oishi's back. He began pulling on the gut of the racquet.

"Oishi-senpai," the rookie began, grabbing the old tennis equipment from his vice-captain's hands, "you know… it's probably all this stupid thing's fault anyway. I mean, when it came, it was storming. That's a bad sign. As soon as we get here, we find out that this place is abandoned and all our friends are disappearing."

"Echizen," Oishi breathed.

He continued. "Probably, whatever happened here that Inui kept trying to tell us wasn't good. So, it's probably a bad idea to come in the first place. And it's all this stupid racquets fault," he tightened his grip around the handle.

"Echizen, look!" Oishi yelled.

Light brown eyes looked up. Across the room, a sheet was thrown off a pretty glass vase filled with decorative poppies. Slowly, the vase was lifted. Slowly, it started towards him. He needed to get out of the way.

Move.

It's coming.

Move!

It'll hit.

_Move!_

"Echizen!"

He tumbled over the back of the sofa. His hands were still gripping the racquet. Blood slowly fell from beneath his hair. His eyes looked up at Oishi, jumping over the back of the seat and kneeling next to him.

"Echizen, Echizen!"

The rookie's eyes closed. His body relaxed as his mind did, leaving him bleeding and covered in poppies.

"No! Echizen! Echizen, wake up! Wake up!"

* * *

I hadn't planned for there to be a diary of the woman. And I hadn't planned to write the first scene about Kaidoh and Inui. But I thought, maybe, it would add to the atmosphere. Well, please review and say what you liked or didn't, or what's wrong with this chapter or the story! I'll be looking forward to it.


	6. He

Yasouka Six  
He

* * *

Ack. I feel awful for not having posted this sooner. It's been three months. I really meant to post it. I had it done the other day, but was thinking I'd double post to make up for it. But that would delay it even further, and I don't want that. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up before the end of May.

* * *

It hurt.

What happened?

Who's talking?

"Ah, Ochibi!"

Oh, it was Kikumaru-senpai. Slowly, grasping his throbbing head, Echizen sat up. As the darkness faded, the world came in to focus, and memories flooded back. "Senpai, where's Oishi-senpai?" He asked in a panic.

"Sh," Eiji answered with an enigmatic smile, a slender and pale finger to his own lips. Heavy bags were under his dull eyes that were watching the slender tensai. He was whispering quietly to the air with a grim expression.

"Senpai, who's he talking to?" Echizen's voice asked quietly.

"Mr. Rosalind," was the answer.

That can't be right.

He's dead, isn't he?

The freshman's eyes strayed. This wasn't something he wanted to see. He didn't want to hear. The air in the room dampened. It was the master bedroom. The same room he'd been in before. It lacked the sunshine that filled the room before. The lighthearted feeling his teammates gave him. The excitement of finding something new. It lacked everything. He gripped the racket tighter.

"Together forever, hm? It's a romantic story, Rosalind," Fuji's eyes darkly rose to a spot on the wall.

"I'm sorry she was killed. But she's waiting for you. No, not here." The bright blue orbs turned their foreseeing gaze to the bathroom. "Outside. She's waiting for you among her garden, just as she always has been."

Slowly, the painful screaming of the creaking dresser opened. The pale hands of the tensai extracted stationary and a pen, his dry lips whispering, "of course."

All noise stopped as the pen rose. Echizen's grip tightened. He couldn't pull his eyes away. The pen was writing by itself. What was it writing? A sad goodbye.

The last farewell.

A final wish.

A dying word.

Addressed to them, the Seigaku regulars.

The silence breaks. "Echizen, please." It's Fuji-senpai. He has a warm, reassuring hand on his kohai's shoulder, the other hand is gently taking the racket. It slides from the palm of the rookie. "Thank you."

He straightens his back and stands upright, his back to his two teammates. Audaciously, he holds out the racket to no one. The cold air reaches out and takes it as the pen drops with a tap back on to the desk. "She's been gone a long time. It's finally time for you to rest with her, now."

Silence again.

Then, tapping.

The racket fell to the ground.

The tapping was followed by a dull thudding.

And a tennis ball, too, dropped from nothing. Fuji kneeled and picked the two up. The ball was rough and darkening in color. After years and years of trying to find its dear partner, it had. And after all these years, it was reunited. And after all these years, he was happy.

"Echizen."

His eyes rose to meet Fuji's. Saddened eyes pored in to the chocolate spheres of Echizen. Quietly, he held out the note.

"Please, read it. It's in English. Though he'd learned to speak Japanese, he never had a chance to read it. His wife had gotten farther than he had, in that aspect," he explained as he urged the paper closer. "Please."

Echizen took the paper hesitantly and read over it.

"O-ochibi!"

He looked up. And through tear-blurred eyes, he could barely make out the concerned faces of his upperclassmen. He lowered the paper slowly.

"E-echizen…" Fuji stuttered, reaching out to the younger boys face. "Echizen, what does it— Echizen!!" Before another word, the crumpling sound of a dead man's last word made itself heard. Before the tensai could make another sound, retreating footsteps echoed through the halls. And before the two could go after their freshman, he was gone. And even before another thought went through their head, they glanced at each other with a nod, and raced after him.

But they didn't find him.

They ravaged through every room, throwing up fits of dust and tearing apart forsaken furniture. But their boy was nowhere to be found. Their hopeless search led them to the living room. The chair's protective sheets were thrown on the ground, leaving the fabric open to attack. A shattered vase laid in pieces among the faux poppies behind the sofa. And panicked whispers broke the silence in the house.

"He was bleeding and unconscious… I don't know… where they are… If only… I could do something…"

A painful creak from the floorboard brought eyes to their attention.

"Oishi!!" the acrobat yelled, tackling his partner around the neck and hugging him. "Oishi, I'm so glad to see you!! Fuji told me what happened after I woke up, and I was afraid you'd disappear like everyone else did."

"Eiji," he smiled, a sigh of relief escaping him. "Eiji, and Fuji. I was so worried about you guys. And I'm so relieved to see you moving around, Eiji. It's really good that you don't have a concussion or something like Inui might. Oh. No. Inui…"

His green eyes fell to a spot on the ground. His partners' warm hands took his own and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, Oishi! We need to find everybody else," he grinned. "If you're too busy worrying, then you'll never find them!"

"R-right," the vice captain stuttered uneasily. "Let's go find them then."

"Just right now, Eiji and I looked in all the rooms from before, so they must be—" The gentle voice of the tensai was overrun by a loud crash from the kitchen.

The three pairs of eyes all turned to the ominous hall leading down to the kitchen. Oishi looked down as the grip around his hang tightened. Another crash echoed down the shadowed hall. The silence swallowed them whole as the trio waited for the next one. Their patience was never answered, and their curiosity engorged them. Slowly, slowly, their steps warned of their trek to the kitchen.

An empty welcome was awaiting them. Suddenly, loudly, a smash deafened them. The six eyes fell to a hidden door behind the refrigerator. Pale, cold fingers reached out from the darkness to open the door for them.

Kikumaru's bright blue eyes rose to meet the face. Fuji, closed eyes and a smile, assured him it was okay with a nod. He twisted the cold metal doorknob and with a banshee creak, opened the old door.

Light poured in to the basement below. Glowing eyes returned blank stares.

A deep voice rumbled from the basement. "Fuji-senpai!" Kaidoh scrambled up the stairs before any of his teammates could, to meet his savior. Kikumaru grinned at the relieved expression Kaidoh made as he met with the rest of his team. Momoshiro climbed up the stairs with Kawamura, Inui following closely behind.

"Ah, Eiji's woken up, I see. How are you feeling?" Inui asked, adjusting his glasses as his eyes looked among the team.

"I'm great!" He grinned. "Fuji told me you got hit in the head. Are you alright, too?"

"Yes, I'm fine." His eyes strayed back and forth between all of his friends.

"Hey, Oishi-senpai," Momo began quickly, "where's Echizen?"

Heavy silence piled on all of their shoulders as they awaited the answer. Finally, tired of the silence, Kawamura spoke up.

"We'll just have to find him, hm? I'm sure if all of us work together we can find him," he smiled shyly, his blue eyes glancing up and seeking approval.

Oishi smiled back. "Great idea, Taka-san."

"Let's get started then!" Momoshiro shouted energetically.

Together, they all marched back to the living room. The team discussed eagerly which way to go first to search for their super rookie. Together, they all decided to search the rooms they'd searched before.

Together, their zeal was cut off.

Together, they hear the door slam.

But only Fuji and Eiji knew what it was.

"Stay here!" The Dream Pair shouted as they jumped up.

Panicked green eyes watched the two after they ran down the hall together. Inui's hand came down on Oishi's shoulder supportively. "They'll be fine, Oishi. It's Fuji and Eiji, and those two can find Echizen, 100 percent."

He nodded solemnly. "100 percent, they'll find him."

The Dream Pair looked up at the sky. "Fuji, where do you think he is?"

"I have no idea. He's definitely close, though. I'm almost sure he came outside," he answered. Gazing at the mountains, he sighed. "Eiji, you keep a look out. I'll go see if he got anywhere around the mountains. I have a bad feeling."

The redhead nodded and turned his attention to the forest. It looked so inviting. Fuji started across the street, towards the rocky terrain. His attention was brought away from his goal by another slamming door.

* * *

The climax! I'll write the next few chapters quickly. I didn't edit this chapter in my haste to get it up. I'd love some critique or something. Or support. I love anyone who still checks this out. =D;


	7. Thank You

Yasouka Seven  
Thank You

* * *

This is the last chapter! Including an afterward. It's very short, and I apologize. I also meant to have this up sooner, but school's gotten in the way of that. But it's before the end of May, so I'm pleased. I hope you will be too, with this chapter. =)

* * *

"Ochibi! Ochibi, stop!" Stuttering screams echoed from the surrounding area. The tensai's sharp eyes strayed back and forth, straining to find the source of the sound.

The retreating back of Seigaku's redhead sounded an alarm in his head. The shrinking silhouette of the freshman ahead of him started a panic. Fuji's bright blue eyes grew wide with fear, and his small mouth opened to yell.

_"Whatever you do, while you're there, don't let him in to the forest."_

He started after them. The panicked warnings he needed to yell wouldn't come out. They needed to know. They needed to stop. Everything needed to stop. Right now. Before it was too late. It's almost too late.

"Eiji! It's dangerous! Stop him!!" His gentle voice screamed, with all that he had. The brunette's message echoed past the house, past the trees, and in to the forest.

"Yeah!!" Kikumaru yelled in return. As a true acrobat, Eiji leaped on to a tree stump. Using his height as a boost, he flew over the rookie and landed amongst the trees. A heavy weight collided with his body. A relieved smile snuck on to his face.

"Kikumaru-senpai," Echizen breathed slowly. "Kikumaru-senpai, it's not his fault. She's been waiting this whole time. He never realized, she's right there. She's right there, waiting for him."

Fingers, like that of an older brother, stroked his head. "Hush, hush," he sighed. "It's okay, Echizen. It's okay."

Fuji slowly made his way to the couple. With a tender hand, he led the two back to the rest of the team, waiting for them, in to the house.

The sun was sinking by the time the regulars could catch another train back home. Echizen's hands were clenched as he walked away, never looking back towards the house. Inui, the last to leave, had closed the door for the last time. A secure locking sound clicked as closure. The eight students all took their seats on the empty train. It wasn't until a soft snoring from the first year that anybody spoke up.

"You know," the data man's deep voice began, "it's a good thing you two stopped him from going in to the forest." Inui's eyes, shielded behind his glasses, fell to Echizen, who was sleeping on Momoshiro's shoulder.

"Hm? Why's that?" Kawamura asked politely.

Inui, in response, adjusted his glasses. "It's apparently well known that Mrs. Rosalind kept a garden by their house. Her favorite flowers were poppies, and they've quite quickly taken over the forest. Not to mention, in close to their house is very loose soil. If he'd taken a wrong step, Echizen could've fallen and broken his leg. Or very easily his neck or skull, I'm sure."

"Mrs. Rosalind loved flowers?" Oishi sighed. "How sweet."

Eiji's shoulders sank. "Mm. I bet she was nice," he murmured.

Kaidoh grunted in agreement, looking up at Fuji as he opened his mouth.

"He'd been waiting for her in the house. Mrs. Rosalind was supposed to be with the racket. They were a pair – a tennis ball, and a tennis racket. He'd been waiting for her, confined to that ball for so many years, alone, waiting for her. For a long time, she's been gone. For a long time, he's been trying to find her, unknowing that she'd already gone," Shuusuke explained. "He had no idea. But, I know, that I saw him leave. He went in to the forest to find her. There, in the forest, they could finally sleep together, in peace."

"Ironically, from that same forest they longed to be together in, came the opium that the villagers used to kill them," Inui finished.

All the eyes in the car turned to him.

Kaidoh gaped, "Inui-senpai, that's not…"

"A happy ending. I know," sighing, the bespectacled regular twiddled with a pencil. "Unfortunately, they don't get a happy ending."

This time, Momoshiro cut in. "Maybe they do."

Just as the acrobat was about to ask what in God's name gave him that idea, the second year held out a crumpled piece of paper. Kikumaru recognized it instantly. Fuji frowned.

"Momoshiro, it's in—"

"I know it is. That's why," he urged the paper toward Kawamura, "please, Taka-san. If you would."

Cautiously, Takashi took the paper and gave a questioning look.

"A note. From Mr. Rosalind himself," Fuji explained. "It's in English. Can you translate it, Taka-san?"

A weak smile forced its way in to the power players' expression. "I'll do my best." He read slowly the letter from the dead.

"_Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Things did not turn out as I wanted them to. I didn't want years apart. I didn't want my efforts to be for nothing. I just wanted to be together with her. I never wanted this. None of this. I didn't want the trouble, the pain, and the loneliness. Even God wanted us apart. But with your help, we are together. I can hear her calling me from the forest. I want to be with her. Things did not turn out as I wanted them to. But all I want is to be with her, and that could never happen. But thank you, thank you, thank you. And I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. We'll be together forever, thanks to you. Thank you. For seeing this to the end. Because I never could."_

A heavy aura took on the rest of the ride home. Not one of the regulars said another word for the rest of the ride. The train filled the closer they got to home, but the entire trip was silent.

Fuji, alone, was smiling to himself. That quaint little smile.

* * *

Afterward

* * *

"How is your arm doing?" was the usual greeting from Honshu, with a cheerful air. But today was different. Instead it was, "oh, hi, Tezuka," when he answered the phone.

The captain squinted his eyes out his window in to the morning light. "Mm. Good morning, Oishi. Is there a particular reason you called today?"

"Oh. How's your arm? Are you doing well in Kyuushu?" His vice captain's voice sighed through the phone.

"Everything's fine down here. And the team?" Tezuka's curiosity rose. If his team wasn't doing well, that was a problem. They had to win and get to the nationals. If something was wrong, it needed to be fixed. As captain, maybe he could help with that.

"We're all doing alright. Though Inui's come down with a cold, and Echizen's been a bit depressed. Fuji's sister assures me that everyone will be better by Monday's tennis practice," he answered.

"What happened?" Tezuka demanded.

"O-oh! Nothing, Tezuka! Please don't worry about it. It's taken care of and it will get better. We just had a run in with," the familiar voice stopped for a moment. A groan escaped him before he continued, "with a lost tennis player."

Instantly, the ghost of Kirihara Akaya floated to his mind. "I see," the captain returned understandably. "I'm sure you dealt with him fine, Oishi. It's not the first time, after all."

"I-it isn't?" The doubles specialist stuttered in surprise. "Oh… oh, oh!! Yes. It's not… the first time."

Tezuka frowned in confusion. Something seriously wasn't right. "All right, then," came from his mouth instead of a question asking for the truth. "I'm sure with your help, everything's all right."

On the other end, Oishi smiled. The deep voice of his captain, though far, was reassuring. "I'm glad I could help. I'm glad I could do anything to help. Though it was mostly Fuji and Eiji, I think we all played our part in helping the poor guy. I'm glad."

An ambivalent silence passed between the two phones. "What?" Tezuka finally said.

"Nevermind, it takes a lot to explain. But it's not going to be a problem for anybody anymore. Everyone's happy," another smile passed through Oishi's face.

"Oh," Tezuka spouted suddenly. "Sorry, Oishi. I have work to take care of here. Good luck with the team."

"Thank you, Tezuka. Good luck with your work. Bye." The vice captain hung up. Tossing his phone on to his bed, he opened the windows to a clear blue sky. He took a deep breath and sighed as he closed his green eyes. Oishi opened his eyes to the reality of a perfect day and smiled, a happy and honest smile.

* * *

Well, that's it! Obviously, my horror, my action, and my characterization needs work. Hopefully, you can help! Just post a review telling me what you thought or what I could improve on! I'd love it. Tezuka's a bit random here, but I wanted him there. X3 And I did my best to tie it in at the end! I hope it's not too deus ex machina or anything. But please, let me know!


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